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46 / JULY.AUGUST.2018 RINKMAGAZINE.COM he offseason—if you have one—is a time for projects and put-aways. Removing the ice is one last project that needs to be prepared prior to putting the skating season in the books. For years, removing ice is something that many rinks simply did as the last step in the process, giving it little thought, especially with regards to legal ramifications. As some rinks have found out through firsthand experience, there certainly is a right way and a wrong way to dispose of this large amount of potentially contaminated ice. Among the many particles that can be found in the ice are human contaminants and ice paints among other things in the ice that we are removing. So how do you properly dispose of your ice? The first step is to prepare a written plan for removing the ice. It is critical that you know exactly where the ice and ice paint is being disposed of, and where it will end up after melting and draining as you will be found responsible for any damage caused by the ice paint from your facility. Before you can come up with a written plan you have to know what the local, state and EPA laws are regarding disposing of ice in your local area. These regulations can be very different across the country, Out with the Old It looks great underneath the ice, but once thaw time comes, what do you do with your paint-contaminated ice? HOW To Dispose of Ice Paint PHOTOS: ADOBE STOCK so you will have to reach out to the local authorities in your area. Most cities and states have laws on what can be discharged down storm sewers, with the most common being that only "clear water" can be released into local sewer systems. The majority of your ice can fit into this category, but when you start to get down to the ice paint you will need an alternative plan. Once you are familiar with the local laws and responsibilities that you have, determine exactly what it is that you are disposing of. The only way to know this is to have the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on the ice paint that was used to paint the ice. This will tell you if you have any toxic or pollution contaminants in the paint which require you to take special precautions in the disposal process. These reports are available from all reputable paint suppliers and may be available on the internet. If you are using high-quality ice paint you will likely find that it will be nontoxic and will not be classified as a high contaminant and therefore will not require expensive measures to dispose of properly. THERE ARE SEVERAL SAFE WAYS TO DISPOSE OF THIS ICE AND ICE PAINT ONCE YOU KNOW THE LEGALITIES INVOLVED 1. Use your local municipality to haul away all of the snow and ice so they can dispose of it in a satisfactory and designated area, which usually is the local landfill. You can also hire a local contractor to do this for you if you are not a city-owned or operated facility. 2. Another way is to build a filter to catch most of the ice paint. This can be accomplished by building or making an 46 / JULY.AUGUST.2018 USICERINKS.COM T , You have to know what the local, state and EPA laws are regarding disposing of ice paint in your local area.